"And they sent forth Barnabas…Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad." Acts 11:22, 23

Dear Prayer Partners,

In early January, Debbie and I left Ghana by bush taxi and traveled to Benin. We crossed two borders, Ghana/Togo and Togo/Benin. We traded languages, English in Ghana for French in Benin. The place we stayed at in Ghana had a hot water tank, but we don’t have one in Benin. So, we exchanged hot showers for cold showers. And we went from no air-conditioning to an apartment with an air conditioner. (Actually, there are three units, but the bedroom unit is the only one that works.) February and March are the hottest months in West Africa, so we consider the cold showers and air-conditioning an upgrade.

We had a fruitful time in Ghana. We were privileged to preach to 187 students at the public school in the village of Minya, Ghana. Afterwards, we went into the village and visited with the Chief and some village elders. We witnessed to them and gave them several different gospel tracts. Pastor Moses is praying about starting a church in this village. For the time being they will transport people to the Lekpongunor church. In addition to the school evangelism, I taught a pastor’s seminar on The Good Shepherd and The Under Shepherd. Debbie and I taught a four-week course on witnessing. Debbie taught the women’s class and I the men’s. The last Sunday in December we handed out Certificates of Achievement to those who successfully met the course requirements. Pictures and details of these events are on the website handfulsofpurposeinc.org under the “What’s Happening” heading.

Here in Benin I’ll be teaching an intensive Bible institute course in February and March. Debbie will be hosting a pastors’ wives’ tea. We have a big event February 24 – 28. The schools are not in session that week, so we have planned a five-day Bible Camp. The kids arrive Sunday afternoon and leave Thursday afternoon. There will be sports activities, Christian fellowship, contests with questions from Genesis, devotional studies in Titus, and morning and evening preaching sessions from our pastors. The kids are excited. Pray that God will do a work in each of their lives.

Check out our website: handfulsofpurposeinc.org. We have put out new articles. You’ll see how “the twin-maker” got saved, how the Bible Institute got started in answer to prayer, an invitation from Debbie to the kids to come to junior church in Benin in “ten pictures,” and how to make Yovo Dekaw. Also, check out our new heading: What’s Happening.

Thank you for standing with us another year. And as Barnabas in Antioch, we look forward to seeing “the grace of God” manifested in Benin and Ghana throughout this new year.